“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” So does Goa’s iconic restaurant Thalassa, which means the sea in Greek. Once this delightful taverna casts its spell, it keeps you entranced forever. Little wonder that many tourists, regard it as a culinary rite of passage and make it a point to stop by Thalassa at least once during every trip to the susegad state.

I cannot count the number of times I’ve missed the hearty laugh (and warm hugs) of Mariketty, the owner and head chef of this Vagator restaurant, and the delicious food. Happily, now Mumbaikars can finally stop pining for Thalassa. Come September, residents of the Maximum City will have their very own Thalassa.

For those underwhelmed by Olive Mahalaxmi’s shortlived 2013 Thalassa pop-up, fear not—the new Thalassa is here to stay. The currently under-construction outlet of this insanely popular Greek restaurant will be replacing Yellow, the all-day bar at the ground floor of Hotel Shubhangan in Khar Danda. The original Thalassa has much going for it, and hopefully, the best of it will be distilled into their new outpost.

Image Source: Facebook | Thalassa

Life’s a Beach
The top three things that differentiate a good restaurant from a great one are ambience, food, and service. Goa’s Thalassa scores high on all these factors. The ambience, in particular, is romantic and absolutely breathtaking Looking over the Indian Ocean, the original Thalassa gives you a taste of Greece in Goa. From its rustic wooden accents and white cane furniture, to its quintessentially Greek blue and white colours and wafting muslin curtains, it offers you a chance to get a Greek holiday in India. The new Thalassa at Mumbai won’t overlook the sea (it’s about 11 minutes away), but it is a safe assumption that the place will be as Greek as it gets.

Image Source: Thalassa | Facebook

For the love of Feta
I’m really looking forward to a sumptuous spread of pastitsio, moussaka, souvlaki—drizzled with plenty of feta, wine, and love at the new branch. The traditional flaming saganaki made from wholesome feta never fails to make my taste buds fall in love. The gyros served with tzatziki are to die for, and you s have the option to sip top wines from all over the world. The well-picked menu in the Olive pop-up offered all the quintessential Thalassa dishes—Greek pizza, souvlaki, stuffed sardines, and the like. One hopes that the Mumbai Thalassa, due to open in September delights us with all these Mediterranean treats and more.

Mykonos in Mumbai
One of the standout features of Thalassa is their fun and raucous plate-breaking Greek custom. Complete with lilting music that encourages you to shake a leg in true Greek horos style, Thalassa’s food, ambience, and service standards will turn meals into a happy snapshot from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
See you there, Mumbai. Kali oreksi!